I Am the Wild (The Night Firm #1)- Karpov Kinrade Page 0,59

I know this. Especially for one such as Mary."

"What do you mean, one such as her? A human?"

He steers his gaze towards me. "Yes. Being human is part of it. Humans have a different moral compass than those of us who are immortal. Life has a different flavor when it only lasts a few short years. To us, time is immaterial. But more than that, Mary was a sensitive soul. She could not always handle the peril inherent in the Otherworld."

"Did you never think to turn her?" I ask.

"Of course. She was the love of my life. But we wanted a child together," he says. "If she were vampire, we would not be able to have one. I was going to turn her after our son was born. We would have spent eternity together."

His voice cracks at the end of that, and he turns away, schooling his face into something unreadable.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I say, standing. "I'll leave you in peace. Thank you for answering my questions."

He doesn't speak again as I leave the room and head downstairs in search of Elijah. We're meant to see his contact tonight about the letters. Hopefully they can shed more light on the mystery or at least turn us towards another potential suspect. Reasonable doubt. Even in the Otherworld, that's all we need.

Derek joins me as I look over the other paperwork we have on the case.

"Anything come to you?" he asks.

I tell him about my conversation with Dracula and he frowns. "That was risky, but brave. And useful, I suppose. He doesn't talk very openly to us."

Matilda comes in, interrupting us. "You have a visitor. The prosecution is here with a settlement offer. In the sitting room."

My heart thumps against my chest as I follow Derek down the hall.

I haven’t heard anything about the prosecution yet, and I have no idea what to expect. Another type creature I’ve yet to meet?

I'm imagining all manner of creature. Gnomes. Giants. Sprites and fairies.

I'm not expecting a beautiful tall blond woman. Her hair is perfectly kept; not a single strand out of place. So, too, is the rest of her; from her makeup to her nails to her perfectly schooled expression of irritation for the job she's come to do. Unlike most women that I've seen in the Otherworld, she's wearing a style more suited to the men. Trousers and a cloak. She nods to Derek and then glances at me with a frown.

"Moira, this is Eve Oliver, our Managing Director. Eve, this is Moira Van Helsing, lead prosecutor on Vlad's case," Derek says, by way of introduction.

"Van Helsing?" I say. "As in the Van Helsings?"

"Yes," Moira says, with such force it feels like a slap. "Now, if we can get onto business? Derek, I come with an offer. A generous one, I might add," she says, with clear distaste.

"I take it this wasn't your idea," Derek replies, with a chuckle.

She glares at him. "You know it wasn't. But I'm forced to make the offer. If Dracula pleads guilty and surrenders his holdings to the council, his punishment will be reduced to ten thousand years underground rather than all of eternity.”

Derek laughs sarcastically. "Only ten thousand years. How truly generous. You know my client will never agree to it."

"I hope he doesn't," she says, "because we've got him by the balls and I'd personally like to see him pay."

"I'll relay the offer at any rate," Derek says, ignoring her last comment. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that was all. You have until tomorrow to accept."

"Duly noted," he says. "May I escort you out?"

"I can find my own way," she says, stalking out of the sitting room and heading straight for the front door.

Once she's gone, I turn to face Derek as we head back to the library. "Maybe we should advise him to take it," I say reluctantly.

He raises an eyebrow. "You don't think we can win?"

"With what we currently have? I'm not confident."

He smiles. "Maybe this will boost your confidence, then. We've received word from Vlad's ex-wife. She's agreed to meet with us. Vlad is sure she'll be an excellent character witness."

"When?"

"Right now," he says.

Dracula enters the library and pauses when he hears what we're discussing. "Lilith and I had a special bond," Dracula says, and it takes a moment for the name to register.

"Lilith?" I ask. "The Lilith?"

Dracula nods. "I was human when we met and fell in love. She, of course, was the first of our kind, created by the